The Resistance
by DoctorMerlinReid
Summary: When Morgana's supposed father, Gorlois, dies, she moves to Camelot with her mother to become a part of the royal family. One day, Merlin, son of Balinor, the leader of the Resistance against the crown, infiltrates the kingdom in the guise of Gaius' apprentice. Gwen and the knights have some secrets of their own as well. Will Merlin choose his family, his friends, or his fate?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Alright, so I was trolling and came across this one story called AU Factory by It's a crazy-kept secret. I was reading through it and saw this story and fell in love. That very day, I asked the kind creator if I could adopt it and here is the result: Behold the magnificence of two minds working together!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, and I only adopted the plot line.**

Vivienne smiled gently at her daughter, Morgana. She brushed a shaking hand over her child's thin face, looking into deep emerald eyes that matched her own. Vivienne forced her hand to stop shaking, purposely making her smile brighter. Inside, she was breaking into ten thousand pieces. Outside, though, she was stronger than she had ever been. All for her daughter. All for Morgana.

Vivienne nodded to Ruth, her daughter's handmaiden. Ruth took Morgana into another room to finish her preparations for the funeral. Her father's funeral. At least, her father until a few days ago, when word reached them that Uther would be more than happy to take his estranged friend and his daughter in. Vivienne laughed out loud, a cold, harsh sound that startled the older woman who was her maid.

She thought back to that fateful day ten years prior when the King raped her in her own home, with Gorlois, her husband, only days from home. She had told her husband whose child it was, of course she had. She just hadn't told her daughter until the news came that Gorlois was dead. Vivienne was sure that Uther had planned his death in a suicide mission to some obscure place. She had even told her husband of her misgivings. He, however, blind in his faith for his king, even after everything the tyrant had done to the family, went on the mission.

Now, Vivienne would be forced to bury her love and move to Camelot with her innocent child. She would have to play a coy game of cat and mouse and integrate Morgana into the royal family. None of her mistakes can be pushed onto her darling girl. And maybe, just maybe, the day will come when Vivienne will learn to love Uther as he so clearly loved her. Maybe she would find happiness and peace in this world once again.

Her maid, Bessie, carefully placed Vivienne's ebony shawl under her black masses of curls and led the woman, cloaked in the black of mourning, into the main room. Morgana came to stand next to her mother, similarly clothed, her green eyes skipping over the crowd. Together, they turned and began the funeral procession to where their father figure and husband would be buried once and for all.

Uther stared down his son. As the boy grew older, he grew more stubborn and more vocal. Most of the time, Uther valued this in his son and was proud to watch him grow into the would be king, however, today Uther would not back down and neither would Arthur.

Uther sighed and intensified his glare, putting on a trick he learned from Gaius, raising a single eyebrow at his son. For a moment, Arthur withered, but then his back straightened again and he raised his chin. Uther heard Sir Leon smother a chuckle from behind him and struggled to do the same.

Eventually, Arthur spoke, "I am not letting some… arrogant… pompous… girl become a part of this family! I will not stand for this _Morgana_ to barge in here and learn sword fighting with me and get schooling with me and take over this kingdom!"

Uther smiled at him, "Morgana will not take over the kingdom. She is a very kind, lovely young girl and she is your sister." His own back straightened and he looked down his nose at his son, saying in his kingly voice, "I am your King and your father. You will obey me. Within the week, Morgana and Vivienne will come and be our welcome guests for as long as they wish. Is that understood?"

Arthur glowered at him for a moment before schooling his features and nodding stiffly. Uther could practically hear him repeating the litany in his head: _I must always sacrifice for the good of the kingdom. I must always sacrifice for the good of the kingdom. I must always sacrifice for the good of the kingdom._

Uther smiled to himself, making sure that it didn't show on his face, before ordering Sir Leon to take his son back to his room. He could hear Arthur talking to the knight excitedly about his most recent 'adventures' around the castle, watching as the knight laughed at the boy's antics.

The King dismissed the court, instructing the guards to close the doors to the throne room. He walked over to the window, his gaze obstructed by the gorgeous colors and fractures, deep in thought. He thought about seeing Vivienne again and seeing his daughter.

That was a strange thought. Although he knew that Vivienne had come by child because of him, he had never thought of Morgana as his before. He wondered what Vivienne would think of him.

Uther loved Ygraine with every bone in his body, with every fiber of his being, but Ygraine wasn't here anymore. She was dead, killed by _sorcery_. Uther's mind was filled with hate at the mere thought of the word. He shook it off. Hopefully, with time, Vivienne will learn to let go of Gorlois as he did Ygraine and she will be able to see that they belong together. Hopefully.

Balinor and Nimueh walked down the hallways of the underground hideaway. When Balinor had met Hunith all those years ago and they decided to lead a rebellion against the crown and a rebellion against the laws on magic, they had found this place.

It wasn't strictly underground; it was more in a mountain, but it counted. Balinor turned to say something to Nimueh, but was interrupted by the sound of an argument.

Nimueh, Balinor's second in command now that his beloved Hunith was dead, grinned at him in that evil shark grin. They knew this sound well. Balinor's son, Merlin and Nimueh's apprentice, Morgause got into arguments more than every other person in the compound combined. And that only included arguments between those two. The both of them were notorious for their stubborn views and their willingness to defend them with fists, words, or magic.

Balinor rolled his soft brown eyes as the skin around them crinkled into a smile. The two set off for the potions lab, where the two young people were set to be.

They stood just inside the doorway, observing, but not intruding. Merlin was carefully pouring a green, viscous liquid onto a clump of blue powder. Morgause was off to the side, scowling at him.

Merlin was ten years old, tall and already gangly. Morgause was twenty years old, with curly blonde hair and mean brown eyes. She could be caring when she liked someone, but it took some will power to like someone when you're forced to teach them and they are stubborn ten year olds.

The moment the liquid landed on the powder, a brown flame rose from it and ignited the liquid. For a brief, rare moment, true fear and concern played across Morgause's face and she took a half step forward to help the boy.

Merlin, however, was oblivious as the fire licked over his hand and covered the beaker. Balinor turned to see Nimueh smiling softly and shaking her head in exasperation. He turned his attention back to his son in time to see the powder start to change form.

Beads of sweat broke out on Merlin's forehead and Balinor noticed that his eyes were golden. Merlin, one of the few people in this world who are willing to admit when they need help, called out to Morgause, "Morgie-," that was his nickname for her, "-help, please. I can't hold the spell long enough."

Sure enough, the powder started to turn back into powder. Balinor leaned forward; he had no idea what the two were working on and he was anxious to see it work. Morgause and Merlin, their eyes flashing gold and their voices raising in harmony, chanted, " _Eac_ _þes wæt on þes sceppe geedcennan sum eorcanstānas_!"

Balinor watched, shocked, as each grain of blue powder turned into a sapphire the size of a pinky nail. For a moment, Morgause and Merlin forgot their supposed hatred of each other and they hugged each other, jumping up and down and laughing. Then they turned and saw their leaders watching them with bemused expressions.

Morgause just turned and curled one half of her mouth up in a smirk, subtly moving her body to show the pile of gems. Merlin's cheeks and ears flushed with embarrassment and he put his head down, his eyes looking up through his eyelashes.

Nimueh sauntered over, whispering a spell over the precious jewels, shock coloring her deep blue eyes when she looked at Balinor, "They are real."

Balinor laughed, a sound that all were used to. He was a happy man even with the burden of a revolution on his shoulders. He said, "And how did this happen?"

Morgause, who would give credit where it was due and would back down from a fight when she was wrong, waved a hand in Merlin's direction. Balinor smiled at Merlin and he grinned back, "So, I was going through some of the old spells, organizing them because Assai was home helping her sick daughter. I read through every spell and wrote down the ones I thought were interesting. When it was time for me to come do potions with Morgie, I told her about this alchemist spell I found that would turn powder into a jewel of that same color. She said it wouldn't work and I said it would and we decided to test it. It worked! We can give out a set amount to all the people so they have money stores ready if this place falls!"

Balinor shook his head in amazement. Only his son would help organize old spells when the keeper couldn't. Only he would see a treasure trove ready with a few words and think of everyone but himself. He was loyal to their people and generous to a fault.

Hunith would be proud of her son. She would love this happy go-lucky, powerful, careful, smart, and dedicated young boy. Balinor pulled Merlin into a hug, watching out of the corner of his eye as Nimueh put a hand on Morgause's shoulder. Balinor's face split into a grin and he said, "Come here!" to the girls and pulled them into a hug. Together, the four of them represented something greater.

For all intents and purposes, Balinor was the king of this rag tag group of magic users. Nimueh was their regent, or maybe, with some time, their queen. Morgause was their ward and princess and Merlin was their crown prince. It was a family born of hardship, but a family nonetheless.

Tom looked up from the forge, squinting through the shimmering heat waves and black clouds of smoke. Lancelot's mother was standing there, waving her hand to get his attention. He smiled and put his hammer down. He untied his apron and wiped his hands on the back of it.

When he made his way out of the smithy, Lancelot's mother, Sarah, had been joined by Gwaine's father, Sir James. James was officially their leader, the noble who presided over this village, but in regards to the small group of rebels, Tom was the leader.

"What's wrong? Is it the children again?" Tom asked, putting up a large, chocolate colored arm to block the sunlight.

James laughed and shook his head, suddenly solemn, "No, this time it's a Diamond problem." Diamond of the Day was the name of the rebel group that hid in this city, protected by a knight of Caerleon. They bided their time and waited patiently for the opportunity to escape Caerleon's kingdom and go to Camelot where they could destroy the king and put one of their own in his place.

They were not evil and they didn't have bad intentions. It was only that they were trying to give Camelot a better king because they had all lost something at the hands of that tyrant.

Tom nodded his understanding and the trio walked over to James' mansion.

In the front yard, Tom could see all of the children. The next generation of Diamond of the Day. There were his own children, Gweneviere and Elyan. Then there were the others: James' kids named Gwaine, Mary, Elizabeth, Lucia, and Imogene; there was Sarah's child, Lancelot; lastly, there were Margaret's two sons, Percival and Perseus.

Tom walked onto the porch where the parents rested in the shade and talked quietly amongst themselves. "What's happened? Is everyone alright?"

It was Margaret who spoke, "We need to disband Diamond of the Day. James has gotten underhand threats that he needs to take us down. Luckily, they don't know he's involved, but the king knows most of the rest of us. We all need to leave."

James nodded solemnly, "I will provide you with the horses, supplies, and money you need to set up in a new place."

Sarah looked horrified, "No James! For one, we cannot accept your money; you have been unbelievably kind to us already. For another, what of your family? If someone finds out you are a part of Diamond, they will kill you. What will your family do then if you have spent all your money on us? Besides, if we do leave with fine things and gold, someone will know that you aided us. You cannot risk it. We can manage ourselves and we will continue to teach our children the way of the Diamond. Someday, they will find each other and it will be reformed, but until that day, we go our separate ways alone, unaided."

This was quite a speech for the young woman, who talked less than Percival, who talked little to none. Tom looked at the haggard faces of his friends and coconspirators, "We can do this and we will. Where is everyone going?"

Margaret answered that she would bring her sons and her husband to the corner of Cendred's kingdom closest to Camelot. She dared not go straight there. Sarah said that she would bring Lancelot and her husband to Mercia where she would train her son as a fighter. Tom told them that he would bring his children straight to Camelot and set up a forge there. James watched them all with a sad expression on his face. He would miss every single one of them.

They parted that day closer than they had ever been, yet soon to be spread across the five kingdoms. The parents made sure their children knew that they would leave that very night and they said goodbye to each other, possibly for eternity. Before the ten year olds (their younger siblings had already wandered off, uninterested) left, however, they were given an amulet by their parents. It had a single argyle, a diamond, engraved on a flat stone and held together by string. It marked them as the leaders of Diamond of the Day.

Then they parted, gone on the four winds, escaped to new lives and new perils.

 **Author's Note: And so begins their story. This is a prologue to give you some background on what is to come.**

 **By the way, the phrase:** _Eac_ _þes wæt on þes sceppe geedcennan sum eorcanstānas_ **is supposed to mean: with this liquid on this grain, create some jewels. Not that dramatic, I know, but it looks cool in supposed Old English.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This is the next installment. Please read and review!**

Morgana and Arthur rolled their eyes at each other from across the table. Despite the fact that the table could fit almost twenty people, there were only five seated there that day. At the head of the table sat Uther, as always. To his right was his queen, Vivienne. Sitting next to her, was Morgana. Arthur sat on Uther's other side with their brother, Mordred, sitting next to him.

Arthur reflected on what today meant. It had been nine years and ten months since Morgana and Vivienne (both of which Arthur automatically hated) came to the castle. It had been nine years and nine months since Vivienne and Uther, overcome with love for each other, got married. It had been exactly nine years since they had their child Mordred.

It wasn't that Arthur and Morgana didn't like Mordred, it really wasn't. They just hated that their parents had a child together. Morgana was convinced that Uther forced her mother into it, and Arthur was convinced that Uther was betraying Ygraine. Overall, they just didn't like. And they tended to take their anger out on poor Mordred.

The reason for the earlier eye roll was Vivienne and Uther literally cooing over Mordred. Arthur thought back to when he was that age. He had been lucky if Uther even realized that he was alive. The young prince was sure that if Sir Leon hadn't reminded him, his father wouldn't even remember his birthday. Leon always said that wasn't true, but being here, nineteen years old and more than a little sick of it all, Arthur was willing to forgo his old sibling rivalry with Morgana to share in her misery.

As was usual with their luck, Vivienne had looked at Morgana at that very instant, catching both her and Arthur's eye rolls. Vivienne, however, just smiled in understanding and smacked Uther lightly on the arm, telling him to not spoil the child. Uther just beamed and agreed.

That was one of the few good things that came from Morgana and Vivienne's arrival: Uther really was in love. He had become a kinder father and better king. Together, they could conquer worlds.

And it made Arthur sick.

He really didn't understand the attraction of love. In his opinion, it just got in the way. It corrupted as much as, if not more than, magic. He made a silent vow to himself that he would never fall in love and he would never let emotions cloud his judgment.

Uther spoke then, jarring Arthur out of his musings, "Arthur, I expect you and Morgana to be present tomorrow at the execution. Some boy by the last name Collins was caught using magic and his head will be chopped off." His voice was expressionless as he condemned someone to death and Arthur felt shivers roll down his spine. He nodded his understanding before asking to be excused. Uther nodded graciously and Morgana soon followed. Arthur could feel Vivienne's emerald gaze follow him.

Morgana caught up to Arthur, their servants falling in behind them as they talked. Morgana began, "Arthur, you must convince Uther to let me skip the execution."

Arthur winced, he knew how much Morgana hated to watch them. He hated it too, "I don't know Morgana. You know how much he wants to portray the family image. I don't think even Vivienne could convince him to let you stay inside."

Morgana chewed the inside of her cheek in frustration. Arthur could tell she was near tears, so he started on a different path. It was a few minutes before Morgana realized that they weren't heading to Arthur's chambers. She asked, "Where are we going?"

Arthur sighed, "We are going to the physician's chambers to ask him if he can diagnose you as too sick to participate in the ceremonies tomorrow."

The prince shook his head, slightly exasperated at the way Morgana's entire face lit up. He sighed again as he heard their servants whispering to each other behind them, "Come on already."

Morgana's face settled into its more familiar sneer and she waltzed down the hallway, her heels clicking against the floor, "What, are you afraid you won't be able to catch up?" Arthur breathed in several times before he deemed himself calm enough to continue. _No matter_ , Arthur thought to himself, _I can always just take my anger out on Ralph during training_. He smiled smugly to himself and continued after his sister.

The Caves were filled with packed crates and running people. Merlin deftly navigated his way around them, following the twisting turns and curves from rote memory.

They were moving. Again. In the past seven years, the Resistance had moved twelve times. Somehow they always ended up back in the Caves, but that didn't mean that they were coming back this time.

After a few more minutes and about fifteen turns later, Merlin found his father pacing in his room. This room had always been his father's, but now, all of his things were packed into crates and pushed onto some wagon or another.

Balinor looked up, "Ah, Merlin, there you are! I've wanted to see you!"

"Um, yeah," Merlin answered, slightly shocked that he was being pulled into a hug, "That's why I came to your chambers."

Merlin heard Nimueh's musical laugh coming from the interconnected room, Morgause's snort accompanying it. The young warlock raised his eyebrow at his father and Balinor smiled.

Nimueh and Morgause came into the room right as Merlin asked, "What's going on? What's wrong?" Merlin heard Morgause give a little half sob and he turned to her, pulling her into a hug even though he didn't know what was wrong.

Nimueh's smile was a little watery when she answered, "You're not moving with us Merlin."

His eyes widened and he stepped back, making sure everyone was in his peripheral vision, "What do you mean?" His voice was slightly hysterical, but he mastered and demanded, "Tell me what's going on."

Balinor picked up where his wife had left off, "You know that we informed the council of our decision to send someone to infiltrate the castle, right? Good. Well, we asked the council to give us candidates. They all said that you would be the best choice. You are our smartest, our strongest, our bravest, and our most dedicated member. You are the best choice."

He stopped and Nimueh, her voice stronger now, finished, "You will find a way to get close to the royal family. Gaius is there to help you as much as he can. He will not outright disobey his king, but he will not abandon his friends either. We will be in contact, but you cannot know where we are. When the time is right, we will strike and you can come home, but until then…" She left the statement hanging.

Merlin swallowed with difficulty. There was no way they were sending him away. Balinor, Morgause, Nimueh, they were his family. He wouldn't leave them! And what about their people? If what they said about him was true, then why would they send him away where he couldn't protect his people?

Merlin shook his head to clear it of such thoughts and took a deep, slow breath. He could do this. He would do this. For his father. For Nimueh. For Morgause. For his people.

His father informed him that he would set out that very night with nothing but a satchel and the clothes on his back. He told him that he was going to have to pretend to be a country bumpkin as much as he could. His father also told him that he loved him and was proud.

When Merlin set off to Camelot that night, his family and friends' kind words propelled him through the darkness and to his new home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey, this is the next chapter. This is the meeting of Merlin and Arthur. By the way, some of this story will be pretty canon, but some of it is obviously** _ **way**_ **different. I wish I could, but I just don't have enough time to do word by word renditions of the scenes that take place in the actual show. So, this chapter is a little longer than the others.**

 **PS: Just to clear up what might become confusion, Merlin** _ **has**_ **met Gaius before. Gaius has spent time in the caves or wherever else the Resistance is hanging out.**

 **Disclaimer: Merlin and its characters are not mine and the backbones of the plot are it's-a-crazy-kept-secret's. Enjoy!**

Merlin stopped for a moment and breathed deeply, watching the people meandering around the city gates. He saw a huge market filled with tons of people and products. The air was filled with the noise of vendors, customers, livestock, and music. It smelled like every produce available and a strong trace of bread and sweat. The market stalls were backed against walls and left room for potential customers and street performers.

Merlin loved every second of it.

Next thing he saw was the castle. It almost blinded him in all of its shining, pure, white glory. He could sense minuscule particles of peridot and fluorite in the stones of the castle. Whoever had built this beauty must have been attuned to the needs of magic. Both of those stones had the ability to protect against magical elements. Merlin took this as a good sign.

The moment he stepped within the city limits, he heard the sounds of a crowd gathered. He followed his (admittedly large) ears to the source of the sound and stopped dead at what he saw.

It was an execution.

He stood, frozen in shock and disgust, as Uther, Ygraine, and Arthur walked up to a balcony overlooking the executioner's block. They watched regally as a man in chains was led to put his neck on the block.

Uther started to speak, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention? This man, by the name of Mark Collins is to be executed in mere moments. He has committed the highest treason. He practiced magic." Uther went on to tell the story of the beginning of the great purge and the evils of magic.

Merlin just stood where he was, his hands clenched in rage around his satchel strap. He made sure to keep his face neutral with a hint of confusion and curiosity evident. The executioner's blade fell and met its mark. There was a sickening burst of gore and then it was over. Uther was already preparing to say farewell to his people when a woman screamed.

The young warlock looked over people's heads – an advantage of being tall – and saw that the woman seemed to be almost seventy years old and hunched over. Her voice was raspy as she spoke, "You killed my son! You killed him! You say that magic users are the monsters, but it is you who is the monster Uther Pendragon! By the end of the festivities, your son will be dead and you will share in my pain!"

Uther curled a hand protectively on the prince's shoulder and shouted, "Guards, get her!" But it was already too late. With a shouted spell, a flash of light, and a cloud of smoke, the old woman was gone.

 _Well_ , Merlin thought to himself, _That's a great beginning_.

He stood a little longer as the coroners took the poor sorcerer's dead body away and then he started to leave. He wandered through the castles for a little while before he finally asked a serving girl to point him in the direction of Gaius' chambers.

He nodded his thanks at the girl and took the last couple of twists and turns to what would become his new home.

Morgana watched from the window as the man was beheaded. She didn't know why she watched it; Arthur had gone to all that trouble to lie for her so she didn't have to watch it. Maybe it was because she needed another reason to hate Uther. Truth be told, she was starting to run out of reasons why he was so horrible. With her mom around, he got nicer and better every day.

Her maidservant, Gweneviere, came to stand next to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Morgana reached back and held Gwen's hand, needing something to steady herself after watching that. Gwen gently turned Morgana around and pulled her into a swift hug. The two girls smiled at each other until a knock on the door shattered the moment.

Gwen looked into Morgana's eyes a moment longer and then she opened the door a crack, bending down to talk to whoever it was out there. Morgana groaned when she heard his voice. Mordred.

Somehow, Gwen managed to hear her groan and she told Mordred gently that Morgana couldn't come and play right now, she was too sick. Morgana gave Gwen another grateful smile and sat down at her dressing table. Gwen pulled the pins and decorations out of Morgana's hair and restyled it into a graceful braid.

Morgana, still looking a little green from the execution, asked, "What do you make of that old woman's threat, Gwen?"

After a moment of no answer, Morgana looked into the mirror to see that Gwen was trying to hold several pieces of hair in place while also trying to get the pins from between her teeth in order to answer her mistress' question.

Morgana held the hair for her and they both dissolved into giggles before Gwen answered, "I think that she is a very real threat and that many people are a very real threat to the king's children because they would be the easiest to take out."

The green eyed lady smothered a grin at her friend's knowing ways. Gwen caught it, however, and blushed a deep pink. Morgana started laughing again and Gwen finished her braid.

Morgana twisted in her chair to get a better look at it and gushed, "You always make me feel so beautiful Gwen! Thank you so much, it looks lovely!" Gwen ducked her head and mumbled a your welcome. Morgana told her that her duties for the day were over and Gwen smiled thankfully at her, walking out of the room quickly.

Before she could leave, though, Morgana called out softly, "Long live the Diamond of the Day."

Gwen smiled and whispered the words back to Morgana.

Arthur punched one of his knights playfully on the shoulder and they started laughing. Poor Ralph chose that moment to come forward bearing Arthur's armor. Arthur immediately stopped laughing and zeroed in on his manservant, calling out, "You're late! Is it really so hard to grab some armor and bring it here?" His knights started laughing again and Ralph turned bright red as he helped his master into his armor.

The prince felt a twinge of guilt, but he crushed it immediately. Princes do not feel guilty about having some fun at their servant's expense. That's what the servants are there for, right?

Ralph stuttered out an answer, "No sir, it's not hard sir. I tripped is all."

Arthur let his eyebrows rise in astonishment, "You _tripped_? Ha! Well boys, we must help Ralph here improve his balance. How about we do some knife throwing training?" Ralph's red cheeks turned ashy white within a few heartbeats and he shook his head no imploringly.

Arthur ignored him and his conscience and shoved a shield into Ralph's arms and grabbed a knife from his belt. "Well, run!" Arthur called as he threw a knife, imbedding it up to the hilt in the shield.

He continued to do that until Ralph dropped the shield for the fifth time and some stranger put his foot on it before the manservant could pick it up. He pulled the shield up and gave it back to Ralph, calling out as he did so, "Hey, friend, I think the poor bloke's had enough."

Arthur could see Ralph send a look of thanks to the stranger and in response, Arthur threw his last knife at the shield. The stranger looked down at the dagger and back at Arthur, raising an eyebrow in a way so similar to Gaius that Arthur briefly wondered if they might not be related.

Before the black haired boy could say anything, Arthur said, "And I don't believe we are friends."

He was satisfied with his comeback until the boy said, "You're right. I would never be friends with an arrogant prat like you."

Arthur's mouth actually fell open at that comment. No one talked to him like that. He was the Crown Prince of Camelot! Arthur puffed out his chest and asked imperiously, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"No." The boy said.

Arthur deflated a little, but continued nonetheless, "I am Prince Arthur of Camelot! You cannot speak to me that way!"

If he hadn't been looking so intently at the stranger for a reaction, he wouldn't have noticed the slight flicker of confusion before the stranger said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I would never be friends with an arrogant prat like you, _sire_!" He even snapped off a rather impressive salute.

Arthur clenched his jaw and held out his hand for a mace. He asked, "You think you're just so impressive, huh? Well why don't we fight it out like real men? On second thought, you're not really a real man, are you?" He made sure to cast a scathing look up and down the boy's stick-like body. Now that he was looking closer, it seemed as if the kid never ate. He was practically just skin and bone.

When Arthur met the boy's gaze again, he saw a resolute, steely anger and the black haired stranger held his own hand out for a mace.

They began to fight.

At first, Arthur was obviously winning. He had knocked the boy down and narrowly missed his arm. The boy was backing up with his feet. Then, he looked away for a second and his mace got miraculously stuck in some market stall netting.

When he freed his weapon, he looked around to see that the boy was standing again, attempting to swing his own mace at the prince. Arthur blocked it with the handle of his weapon and knocked the stranger down again.

Arthur continued to go after the boy, who continued to scoot away. For some unfathomable reason, he kept tripping on things and getting caught some way or another. He noted from the corner of his eye that a large crowd had gathered to watch them fight. He saw Gaius trying to get through the crowd and glancing worriedly at the boy.

That fact didn't really click until he finally swung his mace onto the boy's unprotected shoulder and Gaius broke through the people to stoop down next to the boy.

Gaius glared back at Arthur, startling him. Gaius _never_ glared. Then the elderly physician said, "Shame on you, Arthur, for fighting him when he has no armor or training." He helped the boy to his feet and, shooting one last glare at the prince, half carried him back to the physician's chambers.

Arthur felt two feet tall.

Merlin went straight to his room when he arrived, sitting dejectedly on his bed. Not only did his back sting like crazy, he had probably just screwed up his father's plans within fifteen minutes. With the prince knowing him as the person who defied him, there was no way he was going to integrate into the royal family.

After a few minutes, Gaius came in with a small bowl of a poultice. Merlin sat silently as Gaius worked, pulling his shirt back on when Gaius said, "There, all done."

Merlin looked up as Gaius began to rise from his seat, "Am I monster, Gaius?"

Gaius sat back down, startled, "Why would you think that?"

Merlin looked down at his hands and answered quietly, "Two days ago I walked into a kingdom where almost every citizen would kill me on sight for what I am. They all preach and preach and preach about how evil magic is and how those who use is are so very corrupt. Then there's the fact that I am the only known person to be born with magic. It's not even possible to be born with magic! Yet here I am. I'm a monster."

Gaius' eyes softened and he rested a hand on Merlin's uninjured shoulder. He pulled Merlin into a hug, saying softly, "I don't know why or how you were born with magic, but you were. And really, I cannot think of a better person to bear this gift. Merlin my boy, you are _not_ a monster."

Merlin nodded and sniffled slightly. Gaius smiled at him and stood up, "I'm going to go do my rounds. I'll be back in about an hour."

"Oh," Merlin stood up with him, "Actually, I was wondering about that. I was thinking maybe I could do your rounds for you. At least, until we can find me an actual job. My tutors taught me all about medicinal practices. I'm practically a physician!" He flung his arms out and gave his big, goofy grin.

Gaius laughed and said, "Alright, you may do my rounds, but do not think for one minute that you are a physician. You have much to learn, but I will teach you while you are here. What do you say to being my apprentice?"

Merlin gave off another blinding smile and said, "Yeah, that'd be brilliant!"

Gaius laughed again and gave Merlin a small map of the city with markers on it for all of the places he needed to visit and what to give each person. Gaius sent him on his way with a sandwich, a map, and a basketful of medicines.

Merlin rounded the corners of the castle. It had been almost an hour and a half since he started the rounds. On the one hand, he was slightly perturbed that someone almost triple his age could do these rounds faster than him, but on the other hand, he was brand new to the city.

He took another turn and almost ran smack dab into a little kid. The young warlock put on one of his signature blinding grins. The kid was a little nine year old boy with brown eyes and brown hair and looked adorable, but he was in Merlin's way to Morgana's chambers.

His smile dimmed a little when the only response he got was a minute tilting of the kid's head. Merlin let out a nervous chuckle and asked, "So, I'm new to the castle, what's your name?"

The kid didn't smile and his gaze bored into Merlin's as he answered, "I am Mordred."

"Oh, you're one of the princes, aren't you?" Merlin babbled nervously. This kid was downright creepy and cute at the same time and it was throwing him off. He bit his lip and continued, "Well, my name's-,"

He was cut off as Mordred's little, high pitched voice said, "You are Emrys."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Yep, it's been a while, but I am back and the story commences! (You have no idea how many attempts it took me to spell commences correctly). So read, review, and enjoy!**

 **PS: It's not that big of a deal, but in the last chapter I put Ygraine instead of Vivienne, so sorry about that. Just wanted to let you know because it bothered me.**

Merlin rounded the last corner to Morgana's room. Mordred, after saying his piece, just turned around and left, leaving Merlin standing there, calling after him. The young warlock decided that the kid was the creepiest kid he had ever met, which was saying something because some of the Resistance children were _strange_.

He came across a door that, according to the map, should be the door to the Lady Morgana's room. He raised his hand and knocked on the door, calling out, "Lady Morgana? I'm here with a sleeping draft for you. From Gaius."

Evidently whomever was within the room had been startled by his voice, because they squeaked and there was a thud as if someone dropped something. A sweet voice called out, "In a minute!" There was the sound of two people shifting papers and putting things away and covering things up.

When the door finally opened, Merlin's eyebrow was already raised and he saw two women looking at him. One was the serving girl he had asked directions from earlier, but the other was pale, with black, wavy hair and startling green eyes. Merlin said, "You know, if you want to hide something, you should be a little more discrete than that. Anyway, which of you lovely ladies is the Lady Morgana?"

The serving girl, who knew that Merlin knew that she was a serving girl, blushed and looked down. The black-haired girl lifted her chin defiantly and said, "I am the Lady Morgana."

Merlin grinned at her and she blinked back at him. He was not what she was expecting. Merlin said, "Well then, milady, may I present you with your royal sleeping draft." He swept down low into a bow, flourishing his arm to give her the potion. Both girls giggled and he grinned at them again.

Morgana smiled and said, "You may just call me Morgana, just, probably not around my father. This is Gweneviere, though she prefers to be called Gwen. What's your name?"

Merlin was about to answer when Prince Arthur, also known as Prince Clotpole, turned the same corner that Merlin had turned not too long ago. Arthur stopped dead in his tracks and said, "It's you!"

Morgana, Gwen, and Merlin all pointed to themselves and said, "Me?" at the same time. Before Arthur could react, they all started laughing uncontrollably. Until King Uther swept into the corridor and saw the strange gathering of people around his daughter's room. Gwen and Merlin fell into hasty bows and everyone stopped laughing. Uther was about to speak when Vivienne, holding her son's hand, came around the corner with Mordred.

For a moment, everyone in the hallway kind of just stood there and stared at each other. Uther broke first, saying, "I have to get to the throne room. Carry on." He strode off quickly.

Vivienne was about to pull Mordred on their way when she realized that he was staring at Merlin with his head tipped to the side. The queen walked up to Merlin and said, "Does Mordred know you?"

Merlin winced and answered honestly, "Um, I met him a little while ago in the hallway. He was staring at me then like he's staring at me now. Your highness." Merlin added hastily to the end. Queen Vivienne smiled and brushed passed him in the direction that Uther had come from. Gwen and Merlin both straightened.

Arthur had sidled closer to Morgana's chambers as everyone had talked and he was right next to Merlin when he said, nonchalantly, as if he really couldn't care less, "So, how's your shoulder?"

Merlin barely kept himself from narrowing his eyes at the prince, but he managed. He answered, "It's fine. Gaius treated it and says that I should be able to use my arm like usual within a few days." If he hadn't been looking so hard, he would have almost missed the brief look of guilt that crossed his face. Merlin was about to make some jibe or another when he heard it, _Merlin._ The voice boomed through his head, but wasn't painful.

He glanced around at the others and they didn't appear to have heard anything. He filed the experience in the back of his mind and thought about finding a way to extract himself from the situation. He looked briefly at his map and said, "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we meet again soon. This was my last stop for Gaius, so I better be getting back home. Goodbye!" Merlin threw a wave over his shoulder.

Morgana's voice stopped him, "Where do you live? And why are you helping Gaius?"

Merlin turned around and answered, noting the curiosity written on their faces. He sighed and answered, "I live in that little room in the back of Gaius' chambers and I was helping him at first because I don't have a job and he's an old family friend. Now, I'm helping him because I'm his apprentice. Before I came here, I learned some of the physician craft, but Gaius is going to teach me more."

They nodded and Merlin made his escape.

Morgana looked at Arthur quizzically. Her heart was still racing from the heart attack Merlin had just given her and Gwen. They had been going over what was to be said at the next Diamond of the Day meeting when he had started talking. Morgana shook all of that from her mind and asked Arthur, "Why would his shoulder not be alright?"

Arthur winced and said, "I kind of hit it with a mace."

"You what?!" Morgana stormed. She barreled on without giving him a chance to answer, "He seems like a perfectly nice boy who hasn't done any wrong! He was courteous and polite and very flattering! In fact, I think that you could learn a thing or two about manners from him!" Before he could answer, Morgana pulled Gwen into her room and slammed the door. They could hear Arthur paused outside the door for a moment before he continued walking. They collapsed to the floor in giggles.

When the laughing subsided, Morgana pulled out the papers they had had out before. Then Gwen said the strangest thing, "Maybe we should ask Merlin to join the Diamond."

Morgana opened and closed her mouth a few times before stuttering, "W-what?" They had never just met someone and immediately been like, oh, hey, let's invite this person to conspire against the crown with us. Morgana was shocked she had even let the thought cross her mind.

Gwen blushed and said, "I don't know. I just have the strangest – and strongest – feeling that we can trust him, explicably. Something about him tells me that he has secrets to keep too, and that he will keep ours. I also feel like he would be willing to rebel against the crown." She looked down at her hands and shrugged.

Morgana thought over her encounter with the boy and realized that she felt the same way. Those feelings had been what had possessed her to ask him so many questions. She made up her mind, "You said that there are other second generations out there, right? Why don't we wait for them to show up before we start adding people who we don't _absolutely_ need, alright?" Gwen nodded and she smiled. They got back to work, looking at all of the problems they needed to fix and all of the people they needed to address.

When Merlin got back to Gaius' chambers, he found Gaius looking through books in the little balcony at the top of the room. He asked, "What're you doing?"

Gaius jumped and turned at the same time, causing him to trip a little. His weight pressed against the ancient railing was too much and it broke, sending Gaius flying to the ground. Merlin didn't think, he just acted. His eyes flashed gold and time slowed down. Gaius was still falling, but infinitely slower. Merlin glanced around the room for anything that could help and saw Gaius' old bed. His eyes flashed gold again and his swung his head, moving the bed with his mind. When it was positioned to his satisfaction, he let time speed up to normal time and Gaius landed on his bed with an, "Oomph!"

Merlin rushed to his side, "Gaius! Are you alright?"

Gaius wheezed a little as he stood, but he nodded that he was alright. He put his hand on a table to steady himself for a moment and get a breath back before turning to Merlin and saying, "Thank you, my boy. I actually have another potion for you to deliver, and then your father wishes to speak to you through the crystals. This potion goes to the Lady Helen, for her voice. Thank you for helping around the place." He pointed to her rooms on the map and Merlin set off.

He was halfway to the room when he heard it again, _Merlin_. The voice once again boomed through his skull.

When Merlin finally took the right turn and found the room, he found the door to be open. He knocked on it a few times as he stepped inside. He went to put the potion on the dresser, only to find some strange objects. Merlin was about to look closer when he decided that snooping would be wrong. Just then, he looked up and into the mirror.

Right behind him was an old, wrinkled lady who Merlin swore he had seen before, but he couldn't quite figure out who it was right that instant. Merlin swung around, hand to his chest, about to apologize for being in Lady Helen's room when he saw… not the old hag in the mirror. The person in front of him was the Lady Helen, renowned across the five kingdoms for her beautiful singing voice.

She glared at him and asked, "What are you doing here, boy?"

Merlin gulped and said quickly, "I was delivering your potion, from Gaius. He said that you normally get a potion for your voice and he figured he'd just send it to you instead of having you come all the way there to ask for it."

He tapered off when her face softened. She said, "Tell him thank you for me. Oh, and boy?" She called as he was walking out, "Don't come into my rooms if I am not in here ever again, alright?" Merlin nodded hurriedly and went back to his chambers.

Merlin relayed Lady Helen's message back to Gaius before practically skipping up the few stairs to his bedroom. He locked his door behind him and flopped on his bed. He opened his satchel and got out the precious crystal that was his only communication with his family. He put it on the bed in front of him and waited for an image to appear. While he was waiting, he thought about where he had seen the old crone before and remembered the old woman from the execution that morning. It was the same person!

When one did appear, it wasn't his father; it was Morgause. Merlin's face lit up and he said, "Morgie!"

Morgause rolled her eyes and groaned, although Merlin could tell that it didn't actually bother her. They had become much better friends, more like siblings, actually, since he was ten years old and they started creating the gems that would really kick start the Resistance. Morgause then smiled and said, "Merlin! I wish we weren't talking through crystal right now, so I could hug you. It's been almost five days since I last saw you! I miss you, brother."

Merlin smiled at her and said, "I miss you too, sister."

"Aw, how sweet." Nimueh's voice cooed from off crystal. Soon, she moved Morgause back a little bit so she and Balinor could also be seen in the crystal face. Nimueh continued, "I've missed you too, Merlin."

Balinor just nodded to Merlin and Merlin beamed back at them. Then Balinor continued, "So Merlin, what have you learned so far. I know that you have only been in Camelot for a day, but it would be nice to know."

Merlin nodded to him and recounted the events of the day, "Prince Arthur is a prat. Lady Morgana is hiding something that involves her maid, Gweneviere. Someone got executed this morning for using sorcery. That someone's mother is now disguised as the Lady Helen and is probably going to attempt to kill Arthur at the feast tomorrow. Prince Mordred looked at me and said that my name was Emrys. There is something that is really loud that keeps saying my name but no one else can hear it. I think that just about sums it all up. Oh, and the whole Pendragon family is kind of awkward around each other when there are strangers around."

When he glanced back at their faces, he saw that they looked shell-shocked. Morgause's hand was over her mouth and she looked sick, but that was probably because of the execution thing. She never really did like killing. Nimueh seemed as if she was pondering some deep mystery of the earth. Balinor just looked like he was falling and there was nothing to catch him. Merlin asked, "What? What did I say?"

Balinor looked at him and said, "If that voice calls for you again, follow it. Find the source of the voice, no matter what time it is. And don't let anyone else know about it, understand?"

Merlin nodded and was about to say something when Nimueh pitched in, "When you find the source of the voice, ask it about the name Emrys and what it means that you are called that. Can you do those things for us?" Merlin nodded again. After finding out a little bit about how the move went, they had to leave and Merlin had to go to sleep. They said goodbye and the crystal went blank again.

Just as he was lying down to sleep, the voice called out to him, _Merlin!_

Merlin groaned and threw on his normal outfit before following his magical gut instinct like his tutors had taught him to do. He walked down several hallways and avoided all the guards. Soon, he was faced with a doorway that was locked. He glanced around him and whispered a spell to unlock it. He hurried inside.

After going down several steps, he found two guards playing dice with little gusto. With a flash of his eyes, the dice went rolling down a hallway to get lost in the hay. Both guards started digging in the dirt to find them. Merlin snuck past and grabbed a torch.

He started down a slope that got chillier as he went down, finding a cave at the bottom of it. He looked around the huge cavern and noted all of the different pathways and caves on the other end of the cavern. Merlin called out, "Who are you and why are you calling for me?"

Merlin heard a huge flapping sound, almost like birds' wings, but so much louder. He stared in wonder as a majestic creature landed in front of him, but he didn't understand. These creatures were extinct.

It was a dragon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I will try to be more punctual in my updating, but we'll see. Life always comes first. Anyway, this is the fifth chapter, so read, review, and enjoy!**

 **PS: I'm sorry if Kilgharrah's a little OOC, but it's hard to get him right.**

"Um," Merlin began, "You're a dragon."

The great beast gave what Merlin could only assume was a laugh and then it said, "Indeed, young warlock. I have been calling for you."

"Yeah, I heard. Nimueh told me to ask you about the name Emrys and what it means that the name is mine. Or something like that. What's going on? Oh, and my name's Merlin, what's yours?" Merlin asked, his torch held high. He had been slightly shell-shocked by the appearance of the dragon, leading to him stating the obvious, but he had reined in his shock by now.

The dragon lowered his head and let it rest on his front feet (paws?). He let out that strange dragon chuckle before saying in his deep, reverberating voice, "I am Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon and the last of my kind. It saddens me that you will learn of your destiny so soon."

Merlin's brow crinkled, "What destiny? I'm only here to spy for my father!"

Kilgharrah heaved a great sigh and said, "I am afraid not, young warlock. You were given a destiny long before you were born. It is what you were born _for_. The prophecies tell of you. You are Emrys, the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth, in the past, the present, or the future. It is your duty to protect the Once and Future King, who is currently Prince Arthur. You are two sides of the same coin. Protect him with your life."

For a second, Merlin just stared at the dragon. Then he burst out laughing, "You have got the wrong person, my friend! I am not that powerful. And I certainly am not going to protect Prince Arthur. He is what the Resistance is trying to rid the world of! Why would I protect him?"

When the dragon spoke again, he sounded truly angry and for a moment, Merlin was afraid, " _Fool_! You do not have a choice! The Resistance is trying to bring back magic. It is your role in the universe, as Emrys, to protect the Once and Future King and to aid him in uniting Albion and bringing magic back to the land. You must do this."

Merlin scrambled for something to say that would help his point. He settled on the, admittedly, weak point, "But he's a prat!"

Kilgharrah could tell that he was winning and he grinned a toothy smile, "Perhaps it is your destiny to change that." And with that he flew away, up to a ledge where all that Merlin could see of him was his thick chain hanging loosely. Merlin sighed and walked back to bed, muttering all the while about bloody dragons and cryptic messages being bloody rude to perfectly polite people.

The next day flew by, with Merlin gathering herbs for Gaius in the woods, or helping him to mix together poultices and potions. He hadn't told Gaius about his late night visit with the dragon, but he had the strangest feeling that his mentor knew. Merlin wasn't about to risk it though, opting instead to ask his father about it first. The young warlock kept thinking over the dragon's words, picking and pulling them apart and seeing if he had missed something. The thing that really bothered him was the prophecies. If there were prophecies about Emrys, then his father and Nimueh would have heard of them. If they had heard of them, and knew what Emrys was supposed to do and who he was supposed to protect, then why wouldn't they had said something when he talked to them? There was plenty of opportunity!

Merlin ground his teeth in frustration. This was getting him nowhere. He would just have to wait until he talked to his father again and not think of any of that until then. He had a feast to go to anyway! He hadn't ever really been to a feast since the Resistance didn't have any.

Gaius and Merlin made it to the feast just as it was beginning. Morgana walked into the room wearing a rather risqué dress that showed off every angle. Merlin, forgetting his mentor, just stared at Morgana, completely entranced. Gaius looked at him sternly, saying, "Merlin. Remember, you're here to work."

Merlin nodded hastily and said, "Oh, yeah." He still didn't take his eyes off of her. It wasn't that he was feeling any attraction toward her, it was just that she looked really beautiful right then. Not that she didn't always look really beautiful, it was just even more so that day. Merlin was confusing himself in his head.

Gwen sidled up to him and leaned over, whispering to him, "She looks great, doesn't she?"

"Yeah." Merlin answered, tearing his gaze from Morgana and onto Gwen.

He was about to comment that she looked great too, but just then Gwen spoke again, "Arthur looks nice tonight, also. Whoever he marries will have some nice arm candy. Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?"

Merlin chuckled and leaned towards her, saying quietly, "Oh, come on, Gwen. I thought you liked those real, rough, tough, save the world kind of men." He had gotten that phrase from her in a conversation they had had that morning. She had been comparing him to Arthur and saying how brave it was that Merlin stood up to him.

Gwen smiled and said, "No, I like much more ordinary men like you."

Merlin raised an eyebrow and responded, "Gwen, believe me, I'm not ordinary."

Gwen blushed furiously and Merlin was confused before she said, flustered, "No, I didn't mean you, obviously. Not you. But just, you know, I like much more ordinary men like you."

Merlin raised his eyebrow again and quirked his lips into a grin, "Thanks." She smiled and blushed, looking down again. Merlin decided that as long as they were talking about awkward things, he would ask something else, "So, what was it that you and Morgana were so intent on hiding?" He didn't notice that Morgana had walked up at right that moment.

He heard Morgana's sweet voice behind him say, "That's not really any of your concern, Merlin, is it?"

Merlin just grinned at her, but Gwen looked at her mistress before whispering in his ear, "But perhaps one day we'll tell you." His grin grew wider and he was about to say something before Uther called for everyone to sit down as the food was served. Gaius and Merlin stood against the wall while the nobles ate.

Then, Lady Helen walks into the room and immediately starts singing. Everyone's words die on their lips and even Merlin could appreciate her singing. He was tense, though. He knew that this woman was Mary Collins in disguise and that this would be a great time to make her move. Merlin could feel magic humming through the air, but he couldn't tell what it was doing or what was casting it. Lady Helen's eyes weren't turning gold. Then he saw it.

All of the nobles and servants were falling asleep, cobwebs growing and spreading around them. Merlin then noticed that the longer Lady Helen sang, the deeper their sleep. He slapped his hands over his ears and saw Mary Collins walking forward, eyes fixed firmly on Arthur's prone form. Merlin didn't think. He just reacted. With a flash of his eyes, the chandelier fell from its rope and onto the woman below.

He was momentarily dumbstruck. Merlin had just killed that woman. Then he realized that she wasn't as dead as he thought she was. She raised an arm, pulling a dagger seemingly out of nowhere. With her strength fading, the sleeping spell faded as well. Just as Arthur drearily opened his eyes, the witch threw her dagger.

Once again, Merlin didn't think, but just reacted. He instinctively slowed down time, racing forward and pushing Arthur out of his chair just as time reached its normal speed again. He and the prince fell onto the ground, the dagger vibrating from its position buried in Arthur's chair, right where his head would have been. Arthur looked at Merlin, then at the dagger, then back at Merlin. The young warlock got off of the royal and stood up, offering his hand to the prince as well. For a moment, all Merlin could think was: the dragon was right. It was his destiny to protect Arthur Pendragon. He hadn't even considered not helping him.

Merlin looked up then, seeing that Uther and Arthur were staring at him. Uther said, "You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid."

Merlin still wasn't thinking straight, having just killed a woman and come to terms with his destiny. It was a bit much. He just responded, "Oh, well…"

Vivienne smiled at Merlin, "Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded."

That wasn't really what Merlin wanted, or deserved. He just killed one of his own and now he was going to be rewarded. That just wasn't right. He protested, "No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highnesses."

Uther had other ideas, though, "No, absolutely. This merits something quite special. You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. I heard that you are Gaius' new apprentice. You shall be Arthur's Shadow. It is an ancient position held by the Court Physician's apprentice. You are to go with the Prince on any and all outings he has, and you are to tend to his needs when on these outings. You will be his physician at all times, and his servant when he leaves the castle!" The crowd applauded, but Arthur and Merlin just stared at each other in horror. They hated each other! Now they had to spend every waking moment together! There was no changing Uther's mind, however.

Merlin was sitting on his bed, thinking over everything and waiting for his father to call on the crystal when Gaius knocked before coming in. Merlin smiled at him and Gaius said, "Seems you're a hero."

Without either of them noticing, Merlin's crystal lit up and Balinor and Nimueh's faces appeared. They listened as Merlin replied, "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

Gaius chuckled and sat at the edge of Merlin's bed, "No, I've known it for a while now. When you saved my life, remember?" Balinor and Nimueh exchanged looks; Merlin had left that one out.

Merlin chuckled back, responding, "That was magic."

Gaius nodded, suddenly serious, "And now, it seems, we finally found a use for it."

Once again, Balinor and Nimueh exchanged looks; what had they missed? Merlin smiled wistfully, "My destiny."

"Indeed," Gaius began. It was only then that Merlin saw that Gaius had a parcel in his hands, "This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling that it will be of more use to you than it was to me." He smiled as Merlin unwrapped it.

Merlin gasped and a smile lit up his face, "This is a book of magic! Gaius, this is wonderful!" He went and hid it alongside his other book of magic, the one he had had since birth. In the background, Balinor and Nimueh smiled, even though no one could see them.

Suddenly a new voice called from outside of Gaius' chambers, "Merlin, Prince Arthur wants you right away."

Merlin sighed and Gaius chuckled again, "Your destiny's calling. You'd better find out what he wants." Merlin rolled his eyes one last time and got up, walking to the door. He paused and smiled back at Gaius before leaving.

Gaius sighed and smiled, about to go into his workshop for some light reading, but a voice stopped him, "Gaius! Could you wait a moment?" It was Balinor.

The physician jumped in surprise, before holding a hand to his heart, "You scared me, old friend. How long have you been listening?"

Balinor's cheeks colored slightly and Nimueh answered, "The whole time."

Gaius laughed and said, "Well then, you know that Merlin just left. Is there anything you want to talk to me about in particular?"

Before Balinor could speak, Nimueh asked, "Why would Arthur be calling for him?"

Gaius sighed and relayed the events of that night, also mentioning that he thought that Merlin had talked to the Great Dragon below Camelot. Balinor sighed and put his face in his hands, rubbing them up and down. Nimueh put a comforting hand on his shoulder, saying, "We knew this was a possibility. His magic was so powerful that many already assumed that he was Emrys. Now it is just confirmed."

Balinor sighed again and said, "But he is in Camelot to take down the Pendragons, to find their weaknesses so we can remove them when the time comes. How do we know he'll do that now that he thinks he has to protect the young Pendragon?"

Nimueh's eyebrows pinched together and she said, "We must set up situations where we can view the outcome and we will see what Merlin chooses to tell us. We must also believe that he will do the right thing. He knows that what we're doing is right. He'll stay with us." Balinor sighed again, but nodded, a slight smile brightening his features. They both bid Gaius a goodnight and the crystal went dark. Gaius didn't mention to them that he was personally rooting for Merlin to accept his destiny and do the _real_ right thing, which was do what the Fates created him for.

Merlin, however, was oblivious to all of these recent developments and simply walked to Arthur's chambers, following the guard since he still didn't know his way around the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I totally picked a fan fiction at random to update, so ta-da! I'm updating this one. So, I would like you to know that I am not going to write every episode into this story. I am only going to mentions the ones that are relevant to changes put into effect in this story. So, without further ado, read, review, and enjoy!**

 **PS: I would have updated this earlier, but the website freaking out a little bit and wouldn't let me upload it, so I updated it now instead.**

MMMMMM

It had been over a month since Merlin made it to Camelot. Between small, vicious, magical creatures and magical or otherwise assassins, he had been kept quite busy. Most of the things he went up against took little to no time to defeat and he could continue on with his Court Physician's Apprenticeship duties. Other things, such as Sir Valiant and the Afanc, were much more difficult. Merlin knew that Gaius had found something about the sorcerer(ess) who created the creature, but he had neglected to share the information with his young ward. Every night, Merlin would spend a half an hour recounting his day's adventure and his father and Nimueh would talk to him for a while, with a little bit of time left over to talk to Morgause.

He became fast friends with Morgana, Gwen (whom he had yet to learn her secret from), and the rest of Camelot's staff. Merlin knew that everyone on his list when doing rounds for Gaius looked forward to seeing him and he knew that the people in the lower town loved his occasional visits, friendly or on business. Overall, his life in Camelot was perfect, more than he could have wished for before. He had a lot more friends, too because the children of the Resistance did their best to avoid him, being the son of the leader. It was nice being normal for once.

Today, however, it wasn't so nice. Bayard and his men had arrived in the morning and brought a ridiculous amount of supplies with them. It was as if they didn't realize that there was already civilization where they were going. Merlin swore that he could stock three extra castles with what they brought!

As he was lugging a particularly large bag across the landing between stairs, a girl fell in front of him. Having been raised in part by Nimueh, he had the good manners to immediately set down his package and help her gather hers. She muttered a quiet, "Sorry."

When they've both stood up, he extends a hand to her and says, "Hi, I'm Merlin." The young warlock looks over the girl in front of him. She looks familiar, but he can't quite place it. The serving girl was wearing the colors of Mercia and had dark brown hair with lightly tanned skin. She was small and skinny and couldn't be over the age of thirteen. He knew he had never seen her before, but her bright, unnaturally blue eyes made her familiar. He just couldn't place them. He was shook out of her musings when she shook his hand and smiled to him, "Cara. I'm from Mercia, as you can probably tell. Sorry! I'm babbling. Thank you, Merlin. It was nice meeting you."

Merlin stared after her, still puzzling over where he had seen those eyes.

NNNNNN

Nimueh swept into an alcove, briefly musing to herself about all of the knights she had once seduced in such alcoves. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and pulled out a crystal. Her husband's face swam into view, smiling up at her. For a second, his expression morphed into panic when he didn't recognize her, for the face staring down at him was that of Cara, the serving girl. She swept a hand across her face and whispered a spell, removing the fake face. Balinor smiled fully at her and said, "Did he recognize you, my love?"

She smiled back at him and whispered, "No, not even a flicker."

His smile widened and he asked, "Is the poisoned chalice in place in Bayard's chambers?" Nimueh nodded to him. Balinor smiled once more and then his face disappeared into the milky depths of the crystal. The High Priestess heard the bells ringing, once, twice, three times, four, five, and finally a sixth time. The feast would begin soon. This was their final test for Merlin. So far, he had passed all of them. He never left a single thing out of his reports and he continued to give pointers on the best ways to attack Camelot. The boy had even gone so far as to show them a map he was creating of the castle. Soon, the true battle would begin and Balinor would be king. Magic would be free once more and everyone would live peacefully under their rule.

AAAAAA

Arthur was never particularly interested in treaty signing, or really interacting with other royalty in general. But now, after having Merlin as his Shadow for over a month, he had started to realize how truly shallow royalty was. He would never admit it, but he thought that Merlin might be changing him for the better. It might, Arthur admitted ruefully, even come to pass that they would be friends. He shook that thought away quickly. It was foolish and he didn't know why it even came to pass.

He started paying attention again when Vivienne rose from her seat to welcome the incoming king to the feast prepared in his honor. She began a speech about the former years of war and all of the people who had died. She spoke about the final battle and the eventual bid of peace. She finished off with a comment about now letting any more die in this pointless war. Bayard signed the treaty and then gave the quill to Uther with a hand flourish.

Arthur quickly got bored again and looked out over the sea of faces, only to catch sight of Merlin talking quietly to Gwen, making her giggle silently. The prince felt a strange stirring in his chest when she giggled and he couldn't quite figure out what it meant. He frowned before deciding that the feeling made him too uncomfortable and turned away. It was at that moment that Bayard announced, "As a symbol of our goodwill and of our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your wife, your two sons, and your daughter, in the hope that our friendship might last."

No one noticed that Arthur cringed inwardly when Bayard said 'two sons', which was lucky. He looked up and noted offhandedly that Merlin had disappeared. The prince looked over at Bayard again just in time to grab hold of the goblet. He smiled at the older man and he smiled back. Arthur was about to take a drink of the wine, but he realized that Bayard was still talking.

They continued to talk, each member of the royal families giving out toasts for the drinks and quite frankly, Arthur just wanted to drink the stupid wine! When they finally, finally were able to drink, Merlin of all people comes and snatches the chalice out of his hands, shouting, "It's poisoned! Don't drink it!"

People started shouting and standing up in their seats, crying out in outrage. Bayard himself pulled out a sword, his knights following suit, and started yelling about them accusing him of something. Then Camelot's knights and guards started to pull out their swords. It was just mayhem in general. And it was all caused because of a certain black haired physician's apprentice. Finally, Vivienne stood up. Arthur was a little awed at the fact that everyone in the room became silent and turned to look at her. Morgana was staring up at her mother with an expression that clearly read that she wanted to be just like her some day. Vivienne said calmly, facing Merlin, "On what grounds do you base this accusation?"

Arthur watched the boy as his back grew straighter and he bowed his head in deference to her position (and why didn't he ever do that with Arthur?). If he had been at the table with just his father, Arthur would have gotten Merlin to back off on his own, but that wasn't possible with his step-mother around. Merlin said, "He was seen lacing it."

Bayard's face turned slightly purple with anger, "Who?! Who told you this?!"

Merlin bowed his head, "I can't say." Arthur ground his teeth in frustration. What was wrong with the idiot?

His father raised his head and said in a loud and clear voice, "If this does turn out to be poisoned, I want the pleasure of killing you myself. He'll drink it." Uther pointed a gloved finger towards Merlin, who was still standing there stupidly with the cup.

Morgana finally stood up, crying out, "But if it's poisoned then he'll die!"

Uther nodded seriously and said, "Then we'll know he was telling the truth."

Arthur couldn't just sit here and let Merlin go through this embarrassment, or worse, the death that would come of it if it was poisoned. He grabbed for the goblet, saying, "Merlin, apologize. This is a mistake. I'll drink it." Merlin simply shook his head no, a steely glint in his eyes. He raised the chalice in a mock salute to the monarchs and then drank some of the wine.

For a moment, he just stood there. He blinked a little bit and looked down at himself as if to make sure that he was all there. He looked back up at Arthur and the prince was about to make some scathing remark about the boy's intelligence, but then Merlin's eyebrows scrunched together in consternation. He started to choke, dropping the goblet and putting both hands to his throat. His eyelids fluttered for a second and then he fell, landing on the floor with a sickening crash. Arthur is frozen. This can't be happening. This cannot be happening! He only unfreezes when Morgana calls out to him, "Help us carry him!"

The prince runs to the unconscious form of his Shadow and picks him up, bridal style. Morgana flutters behind him, carrying the cursed goblet; Gwen had run to the well to get some water, something about a fever.

They reach Gaius' chambers and he instructs them to put the raven-haired boy on the bed. Arthur turns to make sure the door is open for when Gwen returns with the pail of water, but instead sees something strange. Hovering just inside the doorway was Mordred. He was staring intensely at Merlin, as if the boy on the ground were the answer to every question the universe had to answer. Then his younger brother looked up at him and turned away, his green cloak swirling around him. He left. Arthur turned back to Merlin and saw that he was now covered in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. Arthur turned to Gaius, "Is he going to be alright?"

Morgana looked up from where she was worrying her hands to hear Gaius' answer. He said, "I won't know until I've identified the poison." There were several tense, worrying moments as he flipped through one of his numerous books. Gwen came in just as he cried out, "Ah-ha! I've found it. The petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says here that someone poisoned by the Mortaeus can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower. It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the Forest of Balor. The flower grows on the root of the Mortaeus tree. It is guarded by a Cockatrice. Its venom is potent, meaning a single drop would mean death. Few have made it back alive. This says that Merlin had maybe four, five days until the poison kills him."

Arthur's lips pursed and he started walking towards the door. Gaius looked up in surprise, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go find this flower and I'm going to help Merlin." He replied, still heading towards the door.

Gaius stood up and frowned at him, "It's too dangerous. Even if it wasn't, your father would never let you go!"

Arthur nodded jerkily in agreement. Then he said, "That's why I'm not going to my _father_ for permission." Morgana smiled, understanding what he meant.

The prince went to continue out the door, but then Gwen cried out, "He's getting hotter!"

Arthur turned back and saw Gaius check his forehead and turn to gather some materials. As he turned however, he caught sight of a red, dotted circle in the center of Merlin's forearm. The old physician gasped and went to look at his book again. Arthur asked hesitantly, "What does that mark mean?"

Gaius swallowed thickly and looked down at his ward with fatherly love, "It only occurs in the final stages of the poison, which means that he only had two days to live."

The young princess next to Merlin stood up and all but shouted, "You said he had four to five days, not two! What happened?"

The old man winced and Arthur saw the look of guilt flicker across his half-sister's face. Before she could apologize, however, Gaius continued, "The book says that the effects of the poison can be quickened by use of an enchantment." Here he frowned and looked at Merlin again and then at his book and then back to his ward. He muttered, and Arthur only heard bits and pieces of it, "She wouldn't… what could she… gain from this? So close… castle… tell Uther."

Suddenly, the physician started walking out of the room and said, "I must talk to the king. Gwen, Morgana, please keep Merlin's temperature down as much as you can. Arthur, please don't do anything too foolish. Merlin would kill me if he knew that I let you get yourself killed." And then he was gone, sweeping around the corner in a manner that reminded Arthur strongly of Mordred.

Arthur nodded to the girls and left the room, donning his chainmail and sword and heading quickly to Vivienne's room. He figured that she could still technically give him permission for this hunt and that she was much more likely to do so than Uther. He swept into the room and opened his mouth to ask her, but she raised a hand to stop him. She smiled and said, "Do what you feel you must for this boy. I sense that he is needed here in this household. But stay safe. Be careful, please. We don't want to lose you."

Arthur stuttered out a, "Thank you." He then turned and walked quickly back to the physician's chambers. He reached the door and put a hand on the knob, turning it silently. He meant to tell Morgana and Gwen of his success and to warn them that he would be leaving soon, but he heard them whispering.

He had caught the tail end of their conversation with Morgana saying, "I think we definitely should let Merlin join the Diamond of the Day. I think that he would agree with our cause, especially after _Uther_ just treated him. He could be a great asset and he deserves to know about it at the very least."

Arthur stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword, and ground out, "What, _exactly_ , is the Diamond of the Day?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. I'm planning to have this chapter finish out the Poison Chalice episode. Then the next chapter will have the knights (most of them) coming in, so that'll be fun. I hope you read, review, and enjoy!**

GGGGGG

Gaius considered himself successful. He had not only convinced Uther to let Bayard and his people go, but he had also convinced Uther that Nimueh was behind many of the recent attacks. At first, he had been adamant against it, saying that, "she would never dare to come into this kingdom ever again" and, "she's not powerful enough to do all of those things". At that last statement, Gaius had been hard pressed to not tell Uther right then and there about the Resistance. The only thing that stopped him was what Merlin would have said. The boy worshiped his father and step-mother, fully believing in their ideals and somehow making himself believe that their agenda wouldn't interrupt his destiny.

In the end, however, Gaius hadn't told his king and Uther had come around to the idea of Nimueh being the perpetrator of the recent magical crimes. After that, he was promptly kicked out of the king's chambers. He immediately went back to his chambers, needing to check on Merlin again. He knew in his mind that he was mother hen-ing him and that there was really nothing he could do. All he could do was wait for Arthur to return from his quest, hopefully victorious.

Speaking of Arthur, Gaius could see the lad standing a bit into his chambers. He too heard the tail end of Morgana and Gwen's whispered conversation and his blood ran cold. Merlin had told the old physician that the two girls had some sort of secret, but he didn't expect it to involve treason! This was the king's own daughter and her handmaiden!

The old man made to move forward, but was stopped by a hand pulling one of his flowing sleeves back. Gaius listened and only heard silence from his rooms, so he turned around and saw that it was young Mordred who had latched onto his sleeve. Gaius bent down, ignoring his protesting knees, "Hello Mordred. Is there anything I can do for you right now? Are you hurt?"

Mordred, in that strange way of his, only shook his head and then started to speak, "You'll make sure that Emrys is alright, won't you? You'll find a way to cure him?"

Gaius paled dramatically and felt as if he was falling down. He steadied himself and looked at Mordred with fear, "How do you know that name? Nevermind, I will find that out later. For now, just don't say that unless it's only Merlin and myself around, alright? And I will do my best to save him, Mordred. I found the cure, but now Arthur has to go out and get it."

The young boy got a strange look in his eye and tilted his head to the side. For the first time, Gaius understood why Merlin thought the boy was creepy. Then he spoke, "What is the cure and where will Arthur be going to get it?"

For a moment, the physician considered not telling him, but thought better of it. Vivienne and Uther were fiercely protective of their youngest child and if he told them that Gaius had denied him information, heads would roll. So, he sighed and said to Mordred, "The cure is the leaf of the Morteaus flower and you can only get it from the Forests of Balor." Mordred simply nodded and swirled away, a look of intense concentration darkening his small features.

Before Gaius could contemplate that further, he heard someone yell from his room. He stood back up as quickly as he could, once again ignoring his knees. He hobbled to his chambers and asked loudly, "What is going on here?!"

Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana looked at each other guiltily before Arthur remembered that he was supposed to be mad at them. Something possessed the prince to talk about the problem in front of Gaius, where he normally wouldn't have. Arthur practically shouted, "They're plotting something! Merlin is involved too!" Ah, that explained why Arthur included him in the conversation. He believed that Gaius would be just as betrayed as Arthur when he found out.

Gaius quickly shut and latched the door before walking over to the group and getting them to all sit in chairs facing each other. He sighed wearily and said, "Arthur, you don't even know what the Diamond of the Day is. It could be anything, really."

Arthur shook his head, already prepared for this, "They said that Merlin would agree with their case especially after what Uther had just made Merlin do. And the way she said Uther!"

Gwen, momentarily forgetting her station to protect her mistress, cried out, "Of course she said the King's name that way! He's the reason that she's here and not with her father back at her home!"

The prince stared incredulously at the princess, "You're still bitter about that?"

Morgana sneered at him, "You're still bitter about Mordred and it's been over nine years since _that_ happened. You still don't like my mother."

The old physician raised a hand for silence, sensing how easily this conversation could lose control. He looked Morgana deep in the eyes, willing them to convey his message. He said, "I'm sure that Morgana could tell you what the Diamond of the Day is and why Merlin would want to join."

She nodded slightly, understanding that Gaius wanted her to lie to get them out of this mess. The princess took a deep breath and looked Arthur straight in the eye, "Arthur, Diamond of the Day is not what you think it is. It's not some treasonous plot to overthrow the king or place me on the throne. It's a servant's rights group. Gwen has informed me of the way that some masters treat their servants and we decided to do something about it. So, we gathered some people together and meet in secret, discussing ways that we can protest the way servants are treated. Even you would have to agree that Uther was horrible to Merlin, making him drink that poison! And we thought that Merlin ought to know about it _when he wakes up_ because you treat him so horribly. There, are you happy now?" She raised her chin, proud of her lies, but hating that she had to tell them in the first place.

Arthur sighed and put his face in his hands. He sighed again, deeper this time, before saying, "I am… sorry that I acted so rashly, but you must understand what that sounded like for me. You should have told me of this earlier. I would have supported you. I can support you now, join your cause maybe?"

Morgana's eyes opened in panic and she looked to Gwen for a way out. Gwen was looking back at her with the same wide-eyed panic. Gaius sighed inwardly and spoke up, "Perhaps that is not the best idea, sire. I'm sure that a number of the people who help them were once _your_ servants. I know that you have changed recently and that you don't treat most servants like that, although you do certainly have your fun with your Shadow."

The prince winced and nodded his acceptance. At the reminder of Merlin, however, he looked back at the fitfully sleeping warlock and his eyes widened. He stood abruptly and cried out, "I've wasted so much time! I have to go now, or I'll never make it!"

Merlin's closest friend and greatest tormentor stopped just short of the doorway, turning slightly to show the rest what had stopped him. Gaius frowned when he saw Mordred standing there, his head tilted again in that strange manner of his. He smiled at Arthur and passed a flower off to him. Then he went and plopped down next to Merlin's bed, staring intently at him as if that would make him wake up and talk to him. Gaius was going to have to get the two of them together at some point to talk over what each person knew about the destiny.

Arthur stared at the flower in his hand in confusion, looking between it and the door, not sure which to address. Eventually, Mordred spoke up, "I got you the flower that you need to heal… Merlin." He looked up at Arthur with such adoration that Gaius couldn't help but feel proud of the youngest royal. He had received nothing but disdain from his elder siblings, but he still maintained his innocent love of them.

Gaius watched at Arthur's shoulders sagged and the old man realized just how much the prince had weighing on his shoulders. Then Arthur straightened and kneeled down next to Mordred, talking to him, saying thank you, and gently telling Mordred that it wasn't right. Gaius wasn't really listening. He was peering intently at the flower, noticing the way the leaves were formed and the unique color of its pollen.

He cut Arthur off in the middle of a word, but didn't care, "Prince Mordred! You are amazing! That is a real Morteaus flower. How did you ever find it?"

Mordred shrugged slightly, a secret smile tugging at the ends of his lips. Gaius watched him suspiciously for a few more seconds before deciding that Merlin would help him figure it out later when the three of them had a chat. The physician grabbed the flower out of Arthur's limp hand and started crushing it into the cure.

MMMMMM

Merlin came to with a raging headache and a dry mouth. He tried to lick his chapped lips, but only managed to peel off some dead skin. He grimaced and sat up with a barely repressed groan. The world spun and reeled and he covered his eyes, lying back down again. Before he could fall back into a nice, deep slumber, a voice called out, "Merlin!"

The young warlock frowned; that was Mordred. Why would Mordred be in his room? He had always figured that the youngest prince would someday come and talk to him about destiny (he still couldn't figure out why he never told Kilgharrah about Mordred, but he had a strong feeling that he shouldn't). Merlin opened his eyes again and blinked them blearily. Mordred's cherubic face swam into view before subsiding to be replaced by a worried Gaius. Soon after Morgana and Gwen's faces appeared above him. There was no sight of Arthur anywhere. That saddened him slightly, but he ignored it.

Finally, Gaius' words broke through the haze covering his mind and his head started to clear. He attempted to sit up again, being guided this time by several pairs of hands, and managed a sitting position without feeling like he was going to fall apart. Merlin swallowed thickly and asked piteously, "Water… please?"

Gwen put her hand to her mouth as if she should have known that he would have needed water and she poured some in a cup before helping him drink it. He was ashamed to admit that he wouldn't have been able to hold it on his own. The young warlock smiled his gratitude at her and asked, his voice still rough, "Arthur… alright? Everyone… alright?"

Gaius smiled at him reassuringly and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Yes, because of you, yes, they are." That was all he got before plunging back into the painless darkness.

GGGGGG

The drunkard leaned back in his stall, nursing his mug like it was his small child. The bar was pretty quiet, being rather early in the morning. There was only himself, the innkeeper, and his wife It had taken him a long time to get to Camelot, traveling through towns and towns, ever eastward before crossing the border and continuing on to the middle of the kingdom, where it was said that the Rising Sun Inn had the best ale in the five kingdoms. Drinking it now, he was forced to agree. He swept his eyes over the bar again before hearing a commotion at the door.

A young man, tall, thin, with a mop of raven black hair sprawled above cerulean blue orbs tripped into the bar. And he literally meant tripped. The wife reached out and steadied him as if that was the normal thing to do when he came into someone's home. Tom, the innkeeper, called out to him, "Merlin, ma boy! Whatcha doin' out 'n about already? Ya should still be 'n bed, ya should!"

The boy, Merlin, smiled weakly at the bartender and called back, "I have some medicine for Mr. Hazel, if he's awake." The drunkard noticed the slightly hoarse quality of the young man's voice and realized that he must have been sick recently. That would account for his unnaturally white pallor and the bags under his eyes. The poor boy looked as if he had died and come back!

Tom's wife, Martha, smiled amiably at him and said, "Tom here'll go an' get him for ya, sweetie. Is there anyt'ing we can get ya while you're here, pumpkin?"

He shook his head and smiled. The drunkard could tell that Martha wasn't pleased with the answer and he assumed that normally the Merlin kid was peppier than that. Tom was already going up the stairs to the higher levels of the inn and Martha was called away from the front by a disgruntled customer out back. The drunkard figured that this was his time to get to know the recently sick lad better. Something about him intrigued the stranger and he just had to know. So he called out, "Merlin! Merlin, right? Why don't you come wait over here for Tom to get back? You look as if you're about to fall over any minute!"

There was a brief moment where the boy looked at him with such suspicion and weary fear that it actually scared him, but then it was gone and Merlin was loping towards his table. Merlin tripped/fell into the chair opposite him and gave him a huge, goofy grin. He just couldn't help but grin back. Merlin asked happily, "Well, you know my name, how 'bout yours?"

The stranger smiled back at him and tossed his long, brown hair. He smiled again and said, "Hello, mate. The name's Gwaine."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I know it's been a ridiculously long time since I updated. I had this chapter already done, like, forever ago, but I lost it (I'm honestly not sure what happened to it; it wasn't there and then it was), but then I found it again, so it's all good! I should be updating more regularly (unfortunately I have a bombardment of homework, so we'll see). Anyway, here's the next chapter, so read, review, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I haven't put a disclaimer for the last couple of chapters, so the characters aren't mine and the idea for the story is from: it's a crazy-kept secret.**

 **PS: I've barely ever, if at all, written from Gwen's point of view before, so bare with me.**

GGGGGG

Gwen was exhilarated for this trip into the woods. Arthur, Merlin, Morgana and Gwen were spending the next three days traveling to a spot that Arthur and Morgana had found as kids. They were stay there and go back all in the three days. The two royals insisted that the place was beyond beautiful. Quite frankly, Gwen didn't care. She just cared about a few days away from the stifling atmosphere of the castle with her friends.

The maid didn't know when she started considering Morgana her friend. She had served the beautiful princess since they were almost twelve and it seemed as if they got close very fast. It was partially because Vivienne promoted it and tried to get them alone all the time, but it was also because they were so similar.

It was easy to figure out when Gwen became friends with the prince's Shadow. It was the first time she met him. He was so charismatic and sweet and endearing. From her trips to the marketplace with or for Morgana, Gwen had learned that practically everyone there loved him and wished that he would be there more. It was almost awe-inspiring how amazing he was.

Then there was Arthur. Gwen decided that she started to like him as a friend around the same time that Merlin became his Shadow. In the month and a half that Merlin had been in Camelot, the eldest prince's attitude towards life in general had taken a dramatic shift in a good direction. It was obvious how much of a benefit Merlin was to him.

Gwen was broken from that line of thought when Arthur and Morgana announced, at the same time, that they were close to the spot. The siblings glared at each other for a moment before grinning and setting off on a race. Gwen turned to Merlin with a smile, but it froze when she saw his face. There was a look of such intense concentration and… concern almost as the Shadow stared after Arthur's retreating form.

Before she could react to that, however, there was a rustling to their left in the bushes. Gwen's eyes flew open and her horse skittered back a step before another horse stepped out, carrying a man with long, thick, brown hair that he flipped to the side almost unconsciously. Merlin cried out, "Gwaine!"

"Merlin, mate! How is my favorite drinking buddy?" Gwaine grinned in response.

Gwen gasped out, "Gwaine?!"

The rogue drunkard turned his grin on her and did a deep bow, still mounted, "My lady Gweneviere. It is a pleasure to see you again."

Merlin smiled between the two of them and said, "You two know each other?"

"It seems as if all of us know each other. Um, Gwaine and I know each other from when we were kids and I guess you guys know each other from… the tavern?"

The oldest prince's Shadow put a hand to his heart and gasped in mock pain, "What? You don't think that I can have a drink in the tavern? You don't think that I can keep my ale down like those rough, tough, save the world kind of men?"

Gwen glared furiously at Merlin, her cheeks heating up again. She seriously regretting saying that to him, but it was too late to change now. Gwaine just laughed and said, "Were you guys planning on just camping here, or were you actually going somewhere?"

"Oh! Yeah, we were going somewhere! Where's Arthur?" Merlin practically shouted, his head whipping up and looking around. He set his horse into a gallop, once again watching the area where Arthur and Morgana disappeared with that intense concentration. Gwen just laughed at his antics and Gwaine raised his eyebrows at him.

Then Gwen smacked Gwaine's arm and said, "Now look! You've gone and upset him! He's not supposed to exert himself for the next week or so and you've got him all upset and galloping through the woods!" She giggled and gave her childhood friend an awkward side-hug-whilst-on-a-horse and then continued, "It's been so long since I've seen you. Elyan and I have missed you. Do you… do you still do the Diamond of the Day?" She lowered her voice and glanced around conspiratorially.

Gwaine lowered his voice somewhat as well and leaned in, saying, "Yeah. And it has been a while. My father… he was killed in battle because _Caerleon_ sent him off to his death. We'll need another backer for the operation, but that can be arranged later. It's good to see you too, mate!"

Gwen smiled uncertainly at him, unsure if she should say this yet or not. She decided to risk it, "You've seen the Lady Morgana, right?" She waited until he nodded to continue, "Well, um, she kind of became the backer and one of the most active members of the Diamond of the Day…" Her voice got quieter as she continued, wincing in anticipation of his reaction.

The drunkard narrowed his eyes at her for a second before saying, slowly, "Merlin had convinced me that Prince Arthur, Princess Morgana, and Prince Mordred can be trusted and are great people and royals. I'll believe him until he's proved wrong, so I guess that's alright that Morgana's a part. But why haven't you guys gotten Merlin to join yet?"

Gwen sighed and wrinkled her nose, quickly explaining why they had been waiting and then telling him about the whole poisoned chalice ordeal and about the near miss with Arthur. The two had decided that it was probably better to go back to waiting for the other member's opinions before deciding to invite him. Gwaine agreed with her and they finally came upon the rest of the group. Merlin was flat on the ground, breathing hard with Arthur yelling at him and glaring (although Gwen could see the soft light in his eyes) with Morgana standing to the side alternating between admonishing Merlin and yelling at Arthur for yelling at Merlin. It was overall a strange sight to come across.

At Gwaine's hesitant cough, they all stopped and turned to look at Gwen and Gwaine. The maidservant giggled and Morgana soon joined in. Merlin dropped his head back down to the ground and huffed out a laugh. He was still breathing hard. Gwen felt bad for him. He was always so thin and pale and the poison just accentuated all of those attributes, making him weaker and less exuberant.

Arthur glared around at all of them and finally ground out, "Who's that?"

Gwaine snapped off a salute and answered mockingly, "Your eternal servant, sire!"

Merlin snorted and the two carefree men grinned at each other. Arthur leaned down and smacked his Shadow upside the head, hard enough to be a threat, but not hard enough to damage him. Gwen noticed that Arthur always pulled back when he was around the black haired man, except when Arthur was training. Gwen theorized that Arthur was truly concerned about the younger man and wanted to actually help him get stronger. She was broken from that line of thinking when Arthur politely hinted that Gwaine should leave. The maid noticed that only she and Merlin saw the slight glare that the drunk threw over his shoulder as he left.

LLLLLL

The noble man and his friend walked through the streets of Camelot, glad to finally have gotten here. They had met up in a nearby town and traded stories before deciding to come here. Based on the word that had gone around, Gwen and Elyan were still in the city, with Elyan running the smithy after their father died. They had also heard (through the local taverns) that Gwaine had made it to Camelot. The mountain of a man that walked through the streets with the noble man felt a little miffed that the drunk had beat them there, but the other only cared about seeing his friends again.

They found the tavern and he looked up at his quiet friend, who simply shrugged and nodded his head towards the door. He shrugged as well and they walked in together. The big man laughed quietly when he looked in the corner where Gwaine was sitting and loudly boasting of his conquests to an incredibly thin man with unruly black hair falling into cerulean eyes. The two walked forward and stopped right in front of their old friend.

Gwaine stopped talking and looked up, his face splitting into a grin as he stood up unsteadily and hugged them broadly, shouting, "Lancelot! Percival!" The man in the booth with him just raised an eyebrow and grinned at the group. Lancelot didn't know why, but that black haired man made him feel safe and warm and happy, like he could give all of his secrets away to him and it'd be fine. It was a strange thing to feel and Lancelot's grin turned into a frown.

The man frowned back for a second before smiling again, seeming to ignore him. Gwaine grabbed the man around the neck and pulled him up, keeping his arm slung around him, "This here is Merlin! He's been a great drinking buddy, even though he never drinks!" Gwaine paused to drunkenly focus on Merlin and send him an exaggerated frown before continuing, "We're like best friends by now! He's awesome! Merlin! Meet Lancelot and Percival!"

Merlin laughed and carefully removed the arm from around his neck, saying, "I have a perfectly legitimate reason to not drink and there is no reason for you to shout. All of Camelot can hear you by now. Anyway, hullo!"

Percival nodded to him seriously and Merlin gave him a smile that almost seemed to say that he was going to get him to talk more. Then Merlin turned and gave Lance a guarded smile.

Percival and Gwaine sat down and started to drink their ale, but Lance motioned to Merlin that they should go out into the street and take a walk. Merlin nodded and they left the building. Lancelot started talking first, "I'm sorry that I frowned at you earlier. It wasn't really at you, it just happened to be in your general direction. And, um, yeah…"

Merlin suddenly laughed and said, "Do you happen to know a girl named Gweneviere because you sound a lot like her when you're apologizing? Anyway, it's alright. It really is a pleasure to meet you and I'm sure we'll become great friends."

That night, as Lance reflected on the day, he realized that they really had become great friends in just a couple of hours. Merlin was an amazing person.

MMMMMM

The young Shadow flopped onto his bed and sighed quietly. The past three days had been exhausting with the poison still draining his strength. He kind of regretted going down to the dragon that night, but on the other hand, if the dragon hadn't told him that the chalice was poisoned then Arthur would be dead and there would be a huge hole in his heart.

Merlin was startled out of his thoughts when he randomly heard his father's voice call out, "Merlin? Merlin, how are you? Are you alright? Gaius told us that something happened and you were injured!"

The black haired man grinned broadly at his father, step mother, and step sister. It had been almost a week since he had last seen them. Actually, the last time had been the night before he was poisoned. After that he had been too sick or there had been too many people around for him to take out the crystal. Merlin answered back, "Yeah, I'm fine. The poison is pretty much out of my system for now and I'm feeling a lot better. I don't really have a lot to report since the last week has been spent in bed, in the tavern with some friends, or horseback riding with Arthur."

Balinor, Nimueh, and Morgause all responded at the same time. Balinor cried out, " _You_ were poisoned?!"

Nimueh frowned, "You know Arthur well enough to go riding with him?"

Morgause guffawed, "You went to the _tavern_!"

Merlin laughed, but it died out quickly as he looked at Nimueh. A frown creased his brow and his head tilted to the side as he thought. Those eyes… they looked so familiar, but not in the way that he had grown up with them. It seemed as if he had seen them recently. Then it all clicked into place: the eyes of the serving girl named Cara, Nimueh's eyes, Gaius's discovery when Merlin defeated the Afanc, his warden's silence when Nimueh was mentioned, the furious glare his father was giving her at that very moment.

Nimueh had poisoned him.


End file.
